As some of you may remember, Animated Meat first came to life in 2008 as a way to document some sights that managed to slip through the cracks of most popular travel websites. You may also remember that the original website was built on Apple's now defunct iWeb. From there, it migrated over to WordPress where it met an untimely demise at the hands of Russian hackers. Many of those old, pre-2012 entries have found a new home here in the Classics section. I would consider these posts as my starting place as a writer, probably comparable to a musician's first demo tapes. They are very rough, but I took them all seriously and wrote each one with passion. While I would like to believe that I have matured in my abilities as a writer, it is my hope that I carry this same blind passion into all of my new efforts.

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen. Behold history in the making. For the first time ever, a jumbo-sized photo here in the pages of Animated Meat!

Why the extravagance now in these lean times? It is for illustrative purposes. Animated Meat, a highly regarded peer-edited scientific journal wishes to put before you a hypothesis and the evidence. The hypothesis? You can get anything you would ever want at the Anaheim Marketplace.

The evidence? Read that sign, ladies and gentlemen. Translated, it says “Free weddings on February 13th, both religious and civil”. Think of that as irrefutable fact in the fossil record. Something with the magnitude of the Piltdown Man’s remains.

Yes, you can get a wedding here, along with a whole lot of other things. God only knows what this place was before it became the Anaheim Marketplace, but it’s huge. So huge there is even a soccer field. Really. Drive around the back of the place and you’ll see it.

There’s plenty of food to be had here, everything from the grab and go variety to the sit and savor. I opted for a chicken mole plate along with a Mexican Coca-Cola. Incase you don’t know, the Mexican kind uses real sugar as opposed to corn syrup. Purists will tell you it tastes better.

Are you into the really scary brand of Catholicism? The kind with bleeding Jesus statues? The Anaheim Marketplace has your back. Shop today and light candles tonight.

The Marketplace states that it has over three hundred vendors. I would agree with that claim. The spaces are set up in a grid format, like a well-planned city. It’s a lot of acreage if you intend to see all of it. If you didn’t wear your comfy shoes, that’s okay. There’s probably a store in here that can sell you a pair.

Are you dying to dress like Los Tigres Del Norte? The Marketplace has everything you need to get fully equipped. This particular store also sells men’s fur coats. I would have included a photo as evidence, but I caught a nasty glare. If you really want to see it, send me an email at theadjuser@mac.com and I’ll pass it along.

Yes, that sign does say “cassettes”. Animated Meat can’t confirm that claim, but they do have plenty of Banda CD’s.

These toys all looked like a lot of fun. Lots of guns and soldiers. I’m sure that everything here poses a choking risk or will potentially put your eye out.